The Tolucan Times » Bob Hursthttp://tolucantimes.info
Entertainment, Theatre Reviews, Sports, Community News and more.Thu, 26 Mar 2015 19:06:22 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.1Most of the talk after the Super Bowl centered on the decision by the Seattle Seahawks to throw the football instead of handing it off to Marshawn Lynch in the final seconds of the gamehttp://tolucantimes.info/sports/nfl-report/most-of-the-talk-after-the-super-bowl-centered-on-the-decision-by-the-seattle-seahawks-to-throw-the-football-instead-of-handing-it-off-to-marshawn-lynch-in-the-final-seconds-of-the-game/
http://tolucantimes.info/sports/nfl-report/most-of-the-talk-after-the-super-bowl-centered-on-the-decision-by-the-seattle-seahawks-to-throw-the-football-instead-of-handing-it-off-to-marshawn-lynch-in-the-final-seconds-of-the-game/#commentsThu, 05 Feb 2015 19:41:24 +0000http://tolucantimes.info/?p=29341Left out of the conversation for the most part was New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady’s MVP performance.

Brady went 13 of 16 for 124 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter on Sunday, including 8 of 8 for 65 yards on the Patriots final drive that led to a 28-24 win.

“I’ve been at it for 15 years and we’ve had a couple of tough losses in this game,” Brady said. “This one came down to the end, and this time, we made the plays.”

Trailing 24-14, Brady completed two 21-yard passes to Julian Edelman before hitting Danny Amendola for a four-yard touchdown to trim the deficit to three points. The scoring drive went 68 yards on nine plays.

After the Seahawks’ three-and-out, Brady marched the Patriots 64 yards on 11 plays for the go-ahead score. Brady chipped away at the Seahawks’ secondary with short passes before connecting with Rob Gronkowski for a 20-yard gain to the Seattle 32. He also threw to Gronkowski for a 13-yard gain and another first down at the Seahawks 19.

New England’s final touchdown came on a three-yard pass to Edelman, with the extra-point kick making it 28-24.

Brady was named the game’s MVP, and tied Joe Montana with four Super Bowl titles and three MVPs. With four touchdown passes on Sunday, Brady surpassed Montana for the most TD passes in Super Bowl history with 13.

Carroll’s explanation: Following the decision to pass on second down from the Patriots 1 yard line that resulted in an interception by New England rookie Malcolm Butler with 20 seconds left, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll explained what they were thinking.

“We were going to leave no time, we had sent in our personnel, they sent in goal-line, it wasn’t the right matchup for us to run the football,” Carroll said. “So on second down we throw the ball to really kind of waste that play. If we score, we do, if we don’t then we’ll run it in on third and fourth down.”

Butler’s interception was the first from the 1-yard line this season by any player. Prior to that play, the Seahawks had rushed on seven of their nine plays from the 1 this season, resulting in three touchdowns, and scored one TD on the two passes. Marshawn Lynch ran five times from the 1 this season for minus-1 yard and one TD.

Sidelines: NFL Network analyst and Hall of Fame player Warren Sapp was arrested for assault and soliciting a prostitute on Monday morning in Phoenix. The incident occurred at a hotel in Phoenix, where Sapp was covering the Super Bowl. Sapp, who was arrested for domestic battery in 2014, was fired by the NFL Network on Monday… Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel entered a treatment center last week as a result of his lifestyle off the field. Manziel is expected to be in rehab for at least a few weeks… The University of Phoenix Stadium became the first venue to ever host an indoor and outdoor Super Bowl when the roof was left open for Sunday’s game. The roof was closed for Super Bowl XLVII when the New York Giants defeated New England… Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman played with torn ligaments in his left elbow in Sunday’s Super Bowl, and will have Tommy John surgery to fix it. Sherman injured the elbow in the NFC Championship Game… Patriots quarterback Tom Brady won his first Super Bowl in 2002. The span of 13 years since his first and most recent Super Bowl championships matches linebacker Ted Hendricks, who won in 1971 with the Baltimore Colts and in 1983 with the Oakland Raiders.

It was somewhat ironic that Jermaine Kearse was the target for the winning score in a most improbable comeback by the Seattle Seahawks in Sunday’s NFC Championship Game.

All four of Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson’s interceptions thrown during the game came on passes where Kearse was the intended receiver, and two of them came on balls that bounced off of Kearse’s hands to be grabbed by Green Bay defenders.

After the Packers sent the game to overtime on a last-minute field goal, the Seahawks won the coin toss and elected to receive the overtime kickoff. Facing third down and seven to go at his own 30, Wilson threw a deep pass to Doug Baldwin in the right flat that went for 35 yards. Then he struck deep again with a perfectly-thrown ball down the middle and through close coverage which was caught by Kearse for the winning touchdown, allowing the Seahawks to escape with a 28-22 win.

Moments after the victory Wilson became teary-eyed on the field as he was interviewed by a television reporter.

“I never doubted in our guys. I told (Daryl) Bevell [offensive coordinator]on the sideline, right when we won the coin toss, I said, ‘I’m going to hit Kearse on a check,’ and sure enough, we did.”

On the final play, the Packers defense lined up in man-to-man coverage and Wilson audibled a change to the called play at the line of scrimmage.

“Once I saw the coverage I had a feeling that he was going to check to that play, and I knew that if I could just beat my man, he was going to give me an opportunity,” Kearse said.

The Seahawks rallied in the last minutes of regulation time to force overtime. Green Bay had led the game until late in the fourth quarter and seemed to be in complete control. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw a touchdown pass to Randall Cobb as time expired in the first quarter to put the Packers ahead 13-0. They led 16-0 at halftime.

In the third, Seattle lined up for what would be a 36-yard field goal attempt. But the Seahawks faked the field goal, and punter Jon Ryan, who was the holder, sprinted to the left and then tossed a 19-yard touchdown pass to rookie tackle Garry Gilliam to put the first points on the board for the Seahawks.

On a drive that began with less than four minutes to play in the game, Wilson scampered into the end zone to bring the Seahawks within one score of the lead.

Seattle successfully executed an onside kick, recovering the ball at midfield after it went through the hands of Green Bay tight end Brandon Bostick, bounced off his helmet and was then snatched out of the air by Seahawk Chris Matthews.

A quick four-play drive by Wilson and the Seahawks, culminated by a 24-yard touchdown run by Marshawn Lynch gave Seattle its first lead of the game, 20-19, and then a two-point conversion which featured a long, lazy cross-field toss from a pressured Wilson to tight end Luke Willson put Seattle up, 22-19 with 1:25 to play.

Seattle had scored 15 points in 44 seconds.

Efficiently, effectively and coolly, Aaron Rodgers led the Packers down the field for the game-tying field goal by Tim Masthay with 19 seconds left in regulation.

“We were the better team today, and we played well enough to win, and we can’t blame anybody but ourselves,” Rodgers said. “We gave it away.”

Seattle will now face the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX on February 1st. The Seahawks are the first defending Super Bowl champions to return to the title game since the Patriots did it in 2005.

Patriots blowout Colts: It wasn’t even close in the AFC Championship Game, with the New England Patriots blowing out Indianapolis 45-7 on Sunday night.

The Patriots earned their sixth Super Bowl appearance in franchise history, and will play the defending champion Seattle Seahawks in Glendale, Ariz. on Feb. 1st.

Tom Brady threw three touchdown passes and LeGarrette Blount ran for 148 yards and three TDs.

“I know we’ve had some ups and downs this year, but right now we’re up, baby, and we’re going to try to stay up for one more game,” Brady said.

Colts quarterback Andrew Luck had the worst game of his career, going 12 of 33 for 126 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions.

“My play wasn’t up to par to give you a chance to beat a great team,” Luck said.

The Patriots will try again to get the Lombardi trophy back after losing the Super Bowl to the New York Giants in 2008 and 2012.

]]>http://tolucantimes.info/sports/nfl-report/seattle/feed/0Both Super Bowl participants from last season will play in the NFL’s Divisional round this weekend. But will they be able to reach the conference championship game this time?http://tolucantimes.info/sports/nfl-report/both-super-bowl-participants-from-last-season-will-play-in-the-nfls-divisional-round-this-weekend-but-will-they-be-able-to-reach-the-conference-championship-game-this-time/
http://tolucantimes.info/sports/nfl-report/both-super-bowl-participants-from-last-season-will-play-in-the-nfls-divisional-round-this-weekend-but-will-they-be-able-to-reach-the-conference-championship-game-this-time/#commentsThu, 08 Jan 2015 15:37:59 +0000http://tolucantimes.info/?p=29029The Seattle Seahawks (12-4) are the NFC’s top seed, earning a bye in the first round. Although they have been peaking, winning six straight games since a 24-20 loss at Kansas City on Nov. 16, they’ll face one of the league’s hottest teams in the Carolina Panthers, who have won five in a row since starting the season 3-8-1.

Just like the Seahawks, Carolina (8-8-1) has been winning with a stingy defense, allowing just under 12 points per game in its last five. Seattle has given up just over six points per contest in its last six games. In the wild-card 27-16 win over Arizona, the Panthers allowed only 78 yards.

“Guys have come together and bought into what we are doing,” Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly said. “We took the first step and it’s an absolutely awesome feeling.”

Panthers quarterback Cam Newton has played well during the winning streak. He threw two touchdown passes in the third quarter against the Cardinals.

Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is 24-2 in his career at home.

“We’re exactly where we want to be,” Wilson said. “Most importantly, we get to play at home again and in front of the best fans in the world.”

Denver (12-4) will host Indianapolis (12-5) in an AFC Divisional game. It’s a rematch from Week 1, when the Broncos beat the Colts 31-24.

Indianapolis defeated Cincinnati 26-10 in the first round.

“We played great team football,” said Colts quarterback Andrew Luck. “We’ve got a tall order playing Denver at Denver, but we’re excited about that and up for the challenge.”

The Broncos are tough at home, going 8-0 this season. Over the past two years, including the playoffs, Denver has won 17 of its last 18 at home.

“We’re excited and looking forward to the postseason,” said Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning. “This is why you work so hard all season to get this opportunity.”

The other Divisional round matchups feature Baltimore (11-6) at New England (12-4) in the AFC, and Dallas (13-4) at Green Bay (12-4) in the NFC.

Baltimore has won two of the past three postseason meetings with the Patriots, both on the road. Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco has seven playoff road wins, the most in league history. New England quarterback Tom Brady has 18 career postseason victories, the most in NFL history.

The last time the Cowboys played at Green Bay in the postseason was in the 1967 NFL championship game, known as the “Ice Bowl,” and won by the Packers 21-17.

This will be the first playoff game in NFL history with a team that went 8-0 on the road (the Cowboys) playing a team that went 8-0 at home (the Packers).

]]>http://tolucantimes.info/sports/nfl-report/both-super-bowl-participants-from-last-season-will-play-in-the-nfls-divisional-round-this-weekend-but-will-they-be-able-to-reach-the-conference-championship-game-this-time/feed/0There are three weeks left in the regular season, and three weeks left for teams to make their final playoff pushhttp://tolucantimes.info/sports/nfl-report/there-are-three-weeks-left-in-the-regular-season-and-three-weeks-left-for-teams-to-make-their-final-playoff-push/
http://tolucantimes.info/sports/nfl-report/there-are-three-weeks-left-in-the-regular-season-and-three-weeks-left-for-teams-to-make-their-final-playoff-push/#commentsFri, 12 Dec 2014 14:04:17 +0000http://tolucantimes.info/?p=28711“In this league, it’s important how you finish,” Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. “So we’re going to see if we can finish in great fashion here.”

No team has clinched a playoff spot yet, although several have the inside track.

“There are a lot of teams that are fighting it out,” New England coach Bill Belichick said. “What happens this year will be determined by what happens in the next few weeks. This is where this team and every other team will define itself.”

The Patriots are tied for the NFL’s best record at 10-3 with Arizona, Green Bay and Denver. New England, Denver and Indianapolis can clinch division titles in the AFC with wins this week.

In the NFC, no teams can clinch a division title in Week 15, but the Cardinals and Packers can clinch a playoff berth with a win and other scenarios.

“We have bigger goals,” Cardinals’ receiver Larry Fitzgerald said about reaching 10 wins. “We want to win our division and host playoff games. Those are our goals. This is just one step in that process.”

Arizona could take that next step with a win at St. Louis on Thursday night. Other key games this week include Denver at San Diego, San Francisco at Seattle and Dallas at Philadelphia.

Week 14 top performances:

Pittsburgh running back LeVeon Bell ran for 185 yards and added 50 receiving yards with three total touchdowns in the Steelers’ 42-21 win at Cincinnati. He joined Walter Payton as the only players in NFL history with 200-plus scrimmage yards in three straight games.

Steelers rookie wide receiver Martavis Bryant caught four passes for 109 yards and a touchdown. Bryant is one of four players with at least seven TD receptions in his first seven career games.

New York Giants rookie WR Odell Beckham Jr. had 11 receptions for 130 yards and a score in a 36-7 win over Tennessee. He is only the second player ever to (Bill Groman, 1960) reach at least 700 receiving yards in a six-game span.

Lions receiver Calvin Johnson caught eight passes for 158 yards and a TD in a 34-17 victory over Tampa Bay. Johnson has 43 career 100-yard receiving games, tying Marvin Harrison and Torry Holt for the second-most in a player’s first eight NFL seasons. Randy Moss had 45 100-yard receiving games.

Indianapolis quarterback Andrew Luck passed for 294 yards and two touchdowns in the Colts’ 25-24 win at Cleveland. Luck now has 12,501 career passing yards, eclipsing Peyton Manning for the most of any player in the league in his first three seasons.

Panthers quarterback Cam Newton threw for 226 yards and three TDs and ran for 83 yards with a TD in Carolina’s 41-10 win at New Orleans. Newton has four career games with at least 200 passing yards, multiple touchdown passes, 80 or more rushing yards and a scoring run. Only Michael Vick and Russell Wilson have accomplished the feat multiple times, each doing it twice.

]]>http://tolucantimes.info/sports/nfl-report/there-are-three-weeks-left-in-the-regular-season-and-three-weeks-left-for-teams-to-make-their-final-playoff-push/feed/0While the National League Central Division race was still in question at the start of this week, one thing was certain – the St. Louis Cardinals are going back to the playoffshttp://tolucantimes.info/sports/baseball-report/while-the-national-league-central-division-race-was-still-in-question-at-the-start-of-this-week-one-thing-was-certain-the-st-louis-cardinals-are-going-back-to-the-playoffs/
http://tolucantimes.info/sports/baseball-report/while-the-national-league-central-division-race-was-still-in-question-at-the-start-of-this-week-one-thing-was-certain-the-st-louis-cardinals-are-going-back-to-the-playoffs/#commentsThu, 25 Sep 2014 14:46:05 +0000http://tolucantimes.info/?p=27368Although the Cardinals have been hot, winning eight of 10 games through Monday, they backed into clinching their fourth straight postseason berth when the Milwaukee Brewers lost to Pittsburgh on Sunday. St. Louis lost 7-2 to Cincinnati at Busch Stadium on Sunday night before a crowd of 45,747, the Cardinals’ 52nd sellout of the season.

On Monday, St. Louis beat the Chicago Cubs 8-0 at Wrigley Field as Adam Wainwright joined Los Angeles Dodgers’ pitcher Clayton Kershaw as the major leagues’ only 20-game winners. That gave the Cardinals a 2 ½-game lead over the Pirates with five games to play.

It wasn’t a sure thing that the Cardinals would reach the playoffs this season after losing to the Boston Red Sox in the World Series last fall. They trailed the Brewers in the NL Central for a good part of the season before climbing to the top of the Division as Milwaukee faded.

St. Louis trailed the Brewers in the standings on August 30 when it lost a fourth straight game in the first game of a doubleheader at home against the Cubs. But the Cardinals won Game 2 en route to winning six in a row and nine of 10 while the Brewers were in the midst of a nine-game losing streak. Milwaukee’s collapse continued by losing 13 of 14 games.

The Cardinals took two of three games over the Brewers last week to claim the season series 12-7.

St. Louis began play on Tuesday with an 88-69 record. The Cardinals continued a three-game series against the Cubs, and will end the regular season with a three-game set at Arizona in a bid to win their second consecutive division title.

Nationals, Orioles, clinch too: The Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles clinched their respective divisions on Sept. 16, only the third time since divisional play was introduced in 1969 that two teams from the same metro area clinched on the same date.

The Nationals sealed the NL East Division title with a 3-0 win over Atlanta.

“Nice to have it done,” Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche said. “The sooner, the better.”

Baltimore won the AL East with an 8-2 victory over Toronto.

“It’s everything I hoped for, man,” said Orioles right-fielder Nick Markakis. “We worked hard all season long to get where we are now.”

StatsWatch: The St. Louis Cardinals in the playoffs, since 1900:

26 playoff appearances

19 pennants

11 world championships

11 postseason appearances since 1996.

2-1 record in the World Series since 2006.

11-8 record in the World Series in franchise history.

Diamond Notes: Detroit Tigers pitcher Anibal Sanchez, who has been out since Aug. 9 with a strained right chest muscle, could be activated this week. Sanchez is 8-5 with a 3.46 ERA in 21 starts this season… Yankees center fielder Jacoby Elsbury suffered a mild right hamstring strain on Friday night, but said he hoped to return this week. Elsbury is batting .271 this season and leads the team with 70 RBIs… Florida Marlins ace Jose Fernandez will start throwing again on Oct. 1. Fernandez, the 2013 NL Rookie of the Year, had season-ending Tommy John surgery on May 16. Fernandez is 12-6 with a 2.19 ERA in 28 career starts. He has 187 strikeouts in 172 and 2/3 innings pitched… The Atlanta Braves fired general manager Frank Wren on Monday, a day after the team was eliminated from the NL playoffs. Wren was in his 15th season with the Braves and seventh as GM. John Hart has been named interim GM. Hart previously was general manager of the Texas Rangers and Cleveland Indians.

]]>http://tolucantimes.info/sports/baseball-report/while-the-national-league-central-division-race-was-still-in-question-at-the-start-of-this-week-one-thing-was-certain-the-st-louis-cardinals-are-going-back-to-the-playoffs/feed/0While several teams are still in the hunt for a playoff berth, the Los Angeles Angels can rest easyhttp://tolucantimes.info/sports/baseball-report/while-several-teams-are-still-in-the-hunt-for-a-playoff-berth-the-los-angeles-angels-can-rest-easy/
http://tolucantimes.info/sports/baseball-report/while-several-teams-are-still-in-the-hunt-for-a-playoff-berth-the-los-angeles-angels-can-rest-easy/#commentsThu, 18 Sep 2014 14:36:09 +0000http://tolucantimes.info/?p=27175The Angels became the first major league team to clinch a playoff berth with an 8-1 win over Seattle on Monday.

“We have a long way to go,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “I think these guys know the bigger prize that we need to keep our eyes on.”

It is the first time the Angels have reached the postseason since 2009.

Through Monday’s game, the Angels owned the best record in baseball at 94-56, 10 1/2 games ahead of the Oakland A’s, who sat atop the AL West for much of this season. Their magic number to clinch the division title was reduced to three games.

The Angels won Monday for the 11th time in their last 12 games. Albert Pujols hit a three-run double and David Freese and Brennan Boesch hit homers.

But Los Angeles received a scare when Pujols slowed down while running the bases during his triple, grabbing his left leg. Pujols suffered a hamstring cramp.

Matt Shoemaker (16-4) got the win on Monday, allowing just five hits and a run into the eighth inning. He’s been one of the hottest pitchers in baseball since the last week in July, winning nine games in that span.

The Angels have been a scoring machine this season. They lead the majors in runs scored with 737 (through Mon.), while the powerful Detroit Tigers have scored a second-most 711. They are tied for third in baseball with the Los Angeles Dodgers in batting with a .263 average and rank fourth with a .326 on-base percentage.

Going into Tuesday’s game, Mike Trout led the team with 34 home runs and topped the majors with 107 RBIs. Jered Weaver led the AL with 17 wins and Garrett Richards (13-4) was among the best in the league with a 2.61 ERA.

The Angels were 37-32 on June 16, 4 1/2 games behind the A’s, but went 20-5 to close out the first half. In the last game before the All-Star break, a 10-7 win over Texas, Trout, Pujols and Josh Hamilton combined to go 7-for-13 with six runs driven in.

“When those three guys in the middle are doing what they can do, you’re going to be able to put some games away,” Scioscia said. “It has to be more than them, and I think it is.”

It was more. Every Angels starter had at least one hit in the game.

“That’s a very relentless ballclub,” said then Rangers manager Ron Washington. “Every time you make a mistake, they make you pay.”

Although the Angels hit a bump in the road by losing three of four to the Dodgers in August, they bounced back to go 27-9 since.

On Saturday, the Angels won their 10th straight game, beating Houston 5-2, coming within one game of the franchise record for consecutive wins set in 1964. Their streak ended on Sunday.

“The offense is clicking and the pitching staff’s been unbelievable,” Trout said.

The Angels have been without Hamilton recently, who has missed 10 straight games due to an injured right shoulder. Once he returns, the Angels will be even more lethal, just in time for the playoffs.

O’s move on without Davis: The Baltimore Orioles will be without Chris Davis for the remainder of the regular season and eight games into the playoffs, should they get that far. Davis was suspended for 25 games without pay after testing positive for amphetamines.

Davis apologized in a statement on Friday.

“I apologize to my teammates, coaches, the Orioles organization and especially the fans,” Davis said. “I made a mistake by taking Adderall. I had permission to use it in the past, but do not have a therapeutic use exemption this year. I accept my punishment and will begin serving my suspension immediately.”

Davis, who led the major leagues with 53 home runs and 138 RBIs in 2013, has 26 homers and 72 RBIs this season despite hitting just .196 with 173 strikeouts in 450 at-bats.

Quotable: “They have the right to boo, but when an umpire gets caught up in that and starts trying to look for extra things – just umpire the game. By no means am I directing anything at any fans,” – Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon, who was ejected by umpire Joe West on Sunday during Philadelphia’s 5-4 loss to Miami. Papelbon grabbed his crotch as he walked to the dugout after allowing four runs in the ninth inning. He also argued with West and first base umpire Marty Foster and threw a cup of liquid onto the field. Fans booed Papelbon for his performance. Papelbon has been suspended for seven games.

]]>http://tolucantimes.info/sports/baseball-report/while-several-teams-are-still-in-the-hunt-for-a-playoff-berth-the-los-angeles-angels-can-rest-easy/feed/0The incredible season that the Baltimore Orioles have had just keeps rolling alonghttp://tolucantimes.info/sports/baseball-report/the-incredible-season-that-the-baltimore-orioles-have-had-just-keeps-rolling-along/
http://tolucantimes.info/sports/baseball-report/the-incredible-season-that-the-baltimore-orioles-have-had-just-keeps-rolling-along/#commentsThu, 11 Sep 2014 14:03:28 +0000http://tolucantimes.info/?p=27046Baltimore went into Tuesday’s games with a 10-game lead over the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East, the first time the Orioles have held a double-digit lead since 1979.

“Every night you get to take a step toward your goal,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said after his team beat Boston 4-0 on Monday night.

The Orioles 84-59 record was the second-best in the major leagues, next to the 88-55 mark of the Los Angeles Angels. Baltimore has gone 32-17 in its first 49 games since the All-Star break, and won 11 of its last 15 games through Monday.

Despite losing third baseman Manny Machado for the season due to a knee injury, Baltimore has kept going behind slugger Nelson Cruz, who has 39 home runs and 101 RBIs; Chris Davis (26 HR, 72 RBIs), and Adam Jones (24 HR, 82 RBIs).

Cruz has hit several key home runs this season, including his second homer of Sunday’s game. His two-run homer in the top of the 11th inning led the Orioles to a 7-5 win over Tampa Bay. Cruz also hit a two-run shot in the sixth and cleared the bases with a three-run triple in the ninth that briefly gave the Orioles the lead.

“It wasn’t a pretty victory but we got it done and that’s the important thing,” Cruz said. “You don’t want to think about the standings too much, but we are in pretty good shape and we just have to remain focused.”

Showalter has been pleased with Cruz’s play and with his presence in the clubhouse.

“Nelson has been spoiling us at a high level all year as a teammate and a player,” Showalter said.

The Orioles also have gotten excellent defensive play, and are tied for the AL lead in fielding with a .987 percentage.

“It’s been incredible,” said Gonzalez, who got the win on Monday. “I think our defense and offense have been there the whole year. We’re in a good spot.”

Quotable: “In my opinion, I’ve had the greatest job in the world. I’ve had a chance to be the shortstop for the New York Yankees I’ve loved what I’ve done, I love what I do.” – Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, in a tribute to him on Sunday at Yankee Stadium.

Diamond Notes: Los Angeles Angels outfielder Josh Hamilton missed his fourth straight game on Monday with a sore right shoulder. Hamilton, who is hitting .263 with 10 home runs and 44 RBIs in 88 games, has missed time due to several injuries…Kansas City left-hander Danny Duffy will miss his next start because of rotator cuff inflammation. Duffy is 8-11 with a 2.42 ERA this season.

]]>http://tolucantimes.info/sports/baseball-report/the-incredible-season-that-the-baltimore-orioles-have-had-just-keeps-rolling-along/feed/0The Washington Nationals came out slugging on Sunday, adding another win and looking like a team that can win a world championshiphttp://tolucantimes.info/sports/baseball-report/the-washington-nationals-came-out-slugging-on-sunday-adding-another-win-and-looking-like-a-team-that-can-win-a-world-championship/
http://tolucantimes.info/sports/baseball-report/the-washington-nationals-came-out-slugging-on-sunday-adding-another-win-and-looking-like-a-team-that-can-win-a-world-championship/#commentsThu, 28 Aug 2014 13:14:29 +0000http://tolucantimes.info/?p=26848With home run power coming off the bats of Ian Desmond, Bryce Harper and Danny Espinosa, the Nationals crushed the San Francisco Giants 14-6 for their ninth win in 10 games during their homestand.

Washington entered this week with 15 victories in its last 18 games, and an 8-2-1 record in its last 11 series. The Nationals were 21 games over .500 at 75-54, enjoying an eight-game lead over Atlanta in the NL East.

They also had five walk-off wins in six games during their homestand.

“This was a great homestand,” said Scott Hairston. “I’ve never experienced anything like it. I think it’s safe to say nobody has. And it’s a lot of fun.”

In Sunday’s game, Washington scored six runs on eight hits in the sixth inning, tying for their most hits in an inning since arriving in D.C. from Montreal nine years ago.

The Nationals started their string of walk-off wins on Aug. 16, beating Pittsburgh 4-3 on Wilson Ramos’s ground-rule double in the ninth inning. They had trailed 3-0 in the eighth before Adam LaRoche hit a two-run homer to tie the game.

“They believe that they can come back, they believe that they can string hits together and we can score runs, and that’s a good thing to have,” Nationals manager Matt Williams said. “That belief system is good.”

Washington won the next day 6-5 in 11 innings over the Pirates on Scott Hairston’s sacrifice fly. In the first game of a series against Arizona last week, LaRoche won it in the 11th with a solo home run in a 5-4 decision.

It was LaRoche’s first career walk-off homer.

“I got every bit of it…it’s nice to get my first one,” the 34-year-old LaRoche said. “Just a crazy few days. I don’t know how we’ve gotten these walk-off situations the last few days, but we have and have been able to grind back.”

The Nationals got yet another walk-off victory on Aug. 20, when pinch-hitter Anthony Rendon singled home Bryce Harper in the ninth for a 3-2 win.

“It’s absolutely epic,” Harper said. “It’s been incredible. This team has a lot of fight, a lot of heart.”

Washington’s fifth win in its last at-bat during a six-game stretch came in the series finale against the Diamondbacks when Denard Span scored the game’s only run from second base on a throwing error by third baseman Jordan Pacheco in the ninth.

It was the Nationals 10th straight win, tying a franchise record set in June 2005. The club’s five walk-off wins in a six-game span made it the first time a team has done that since the Houston Astros in 1986, and the seventh team overall to accomplish it, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

The Giants ended Washington’s streak on Friday with a 10-3 win before the Nationals won the last two games of the series by a combined 20-8 margin in runs.

Washington, which ranks fourth in the NL with 540 runs scored and leads the NL with a 3.07 ERA, began a nine-game road trip this week with visits to Philadelphia, Seattle and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

StatsWatch: Here’s a list of the top hitters in the major leagues, through Sunday’s games.

Jose Altuve, Astros, .334

Victor Martinez, Tigers, .328

Adrian Beltre, Rangers, .327

Robinson Cano, Mariners, .326

Justin Morneau, Rockies, .314

Ben Revere, Phillies, .314

Melky Cabrera, Blue Jays, .311

Michael Brantley, Indians, .311

Miguel Cabrera, Tigers, .308

Jose Abreu, White Sox, .308

Diamond Notes: Oakland A’s closer Sean Doolittle was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right intercostal. Doolittle has 20 saves and a 2.28 ERA in 54 relief appearances…Texas traded catcher Geovany Soto to the Athletics over the weekend for cash. Soto, plagued by injuries this season, hit .237 with a homer and three RBIs in 10 games with the Rangers.

]]>http://tolucantimes.info/sports/baseball-report/the-washington-nationals-came-out-slugging-on-sunday-adding-another-win-and-looking-like-a-team-that-can-win-a-world-championship/feed/0Kansas City and Seattle are making some noisehttp://tolucantimes.info/sports/baseball-report/kansas-city-and-seattle-are-making-some-noise/
http://tolucantimes.info/sports/baseball-report/kansas-city-and-seattle-are-making-some-noise/#commentsThu, 21 Aug 2014 14:46:40 +0000http://tolucantimes.info/?p=26778The two clubs usually aren’t in the playoff picture this late in the season, but this year’s different. Seattle on Tuesday was tied with Detroit for the final AL wild-card slot, while Kansas City led the AL Central by 2 games over the Tigers.

The Mariners took two out of three games from the Tigers in Detroit over the weekend to move in front for the last wild-card. Seattle has won 12 of its last 17 games and four straight series.

After Sunday’s 12-6 win over Minnesota, the Royals had won 20 of their last 25 games. It was the latest point in the season that Kansas City had been in first place since 2003.

Seattle’s pitching has been a key to its success. The Mariners’ starting pitchers have allowed three runs or less in each of the past 15 games. Seattle leads the major leagues with a 2.94 ERA overall.

Chris Young won his 12th game for Seattle on Sunday, beating Detroit 8-1. He allowed four hits and no runs in six innings while matching his career-high in wins. Young has won four straight games, and in his last 12 starts, his ERA has dipped to 2.45.

“With that lineup, you know you are going to get into trouble,” Young said of the Tigers. “The key is getting out of it, and I was able to miss bats when I needed to today.”

Kansas City, which ranks 14th in the majors in runs scored, poured it on in Sunday’s 12-6 win at Minnesota. The Royals started early with seven runs in the second inning, getting two-run singles by Alcides Escobar and Nori Aoki. Then they got home runs from Alex Gordon, Salvador Perez and Josh Willingham later in the game.

The Royals have won eight consecutive series, and they beat the Oakland A’s in two of those series this month.

In Kansas City’s last homestand, the Royals went 6-1, including a sweep over San Francisco.

“We feel pretty good about ourselves,” Royals manager Ned Yost said after a 7-3 win over Oakland last week. “I think every (starting) pitcher we faced on this homestand has been an All-Star and to take six out of seven is pretty good. I’m happy with where we’re at.”

StatsWatch: Hitting a triple is one of the toughest things to do in baseball, even for the speediest runners in the game. Here’s a list of who does it the most (through Sunday’s games):

Dee Gordon, Dodgers, 10 triples

Hunter Pence, Giants, 9

Brandon Crawford, Giants, 9

Yasiel Puig, Dodgers, 9

Alex Rios, Rangers, 8

Michael Bourn, Indians, 7

Brett Gardner, Yankees, 7

Billy Hamilton, Reds, 7

Adeiny Hechavarria, Marlins, 7

Adam Eaton, White Sox, 7

Diamond Notes: The New York Yankees have activated catcher Brian McCann from the seven-day concussion list. McCann was injured during a game on Aug. 8 at Cleveland…Yankees right-hander Masahiro Tanaka threw in a bullpen session on Saturday for the first time since going on the disabled list on July 9th with a partial ligament tear in his right elbow…Pittsburgh placed right-handed pitcher Charlie Morton on the 15-day DL with right hip inflammation. Morton is 5-12 with a 3.84 ERA and hasn’t won since July 2…The Boston Red Sox are waiting to hear on whether they will be able to acquire Cuban defector Rusney Castillo. Castillo is projected to be an outfielder with plus speed and an average arm.

]]>http://tolucantimes.info/sports/baseball-report/kansas-city-and-seattle-are-making-some-noise/feed/0Sonny Gray enjoys a big lead. The Oakland pitcher won his fifth straight decision on Sunday as the Athletics rolled to a 10-2 victory over Baltimorehttp://tolucantimes.info/sports/baseball-report/sonny-gray-enjoys-a-big-lead-the-oakland-pitcher-won-his-fifth-straight-decision-on-sunday-as-the-athletics-rolled-to-a-10-2-victory-over-baltimore/
http://tolucantimes.info/sports/baseball-report/sonny-gray-enjoys-a-big-lead-the-oakland-pitcher-won-his-fifth-straight-decision-on-sunday-as-the-athletics-rolled-to-a-10-2-victory-over-baltimore/#commentsThu, 24 Jul 2014 14:48:37 +0000http://tolucantimes.info/?p=26453Oakland led 7-1 after five innings and added three more runs before Gray left with two outs in the seventh.

“As the game went on and we were able to put some runs together, it was really big because then I could just take a deep breath and really start attacking the guys, and throwing my stuff up there and have them put it in play,” Gray said.

Gray allowed two runs, one earned, with two hits and two walks to go with eight strikeouts.

The 24-year-old right-hander has won all four of his starts this month with a 0.39 ERA. This season, Gray is 11-3 with a 2.72 ERA. He has 116 strikeouts in 132.1 innings pitched.

Gray’s curveball is his go-to pitch, and one that opponents would rather not see. He’s only allowed eight baserunners when throwing a curve. On Sunday, the Orioles went 0-for-10 when Gray threw a curveball on the last pitch of an at-bat.

And when the A’s have needed a win, Gray has delivered. He beat Toronto 4-1 on July 3 to halt the team’s three-game losing streak, and stopped Oakland’s two-game skid with a win at Seattle on July 13.

Jeter, Trout, shine in All-Star Game: Derek Jeter is on his way out after a Hall of Fame career. Mike Trout has a long career ahead of him that could turn out to be one of the best ever.

The two players had their moment in the spotlight in last week’s 5-3 American League win at the All-Star Game in Minneapolis. Jeter doubled in the first inning and singled in the third before being replaced in the top of the fourth at shortstop.

Jeter was cheered before his first at-bat, and St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright placed his glove on the mound in honor of the New York Yankees star, clapping along with the fans.

“I tried to tell him to pick it up, let’s go,” Jeter said. “But he took a moment and let the fans give me an ovation which I will always remember.”

Trout, 23, became the youngest player to be awarded the All-Star Game MVP. He tripled in the first inning to score Jeter, and put the AL in front to stay with an RBI double in the fifth.

“Growing up I was setting goals…that’s how I want to play,” Trout said of Jeter. “And the way he carries himself on and off the field, how he respects the game — always hustling. That’s how I want to play.”

The win gives the AL champion home-field advantage for the World Series.

StatsWatch: Here are the best, and worst, fielding teams in Major League Baseball (through Sunday’s games) –

Best fielding teams:

Cincinnati Reds, .988 Fielding Percentage, 42 errors

Baltimore Orioles, .988 FPCT, 44 errors

Minnesota Twins, .987 FPCT, 46 errors

Tampa Bay Rays, .987 FPCT, 47 errors

Seattle Mariners, .987 FPCT, 47 errors

St. Louis Cardinals, .987 FPCT, 47 errors

Worst fielding teams:

Cleveland Indians, .979 FPCT, 77 errors

Arizona Diamondbacks, .981 FPCT, 72 errors

Pittsburgh Pirates, .982 FPCT, 70 errors

Texas Rangers, .980 FPCT, 70 errors

Chicago White Sox, .982 FPCT, 67 errors

Note: The MLB averages are a .984 FPCT and 57 errors.

Quotable: “You’re up two runs with two outs and you lay down a bunt. I don’t think that’s the way the game should be played. He layed down a bunt simply for average. I didn’t appreciate it.” – Texas pitcher Colby Lewis on a fifth-inning bunt by Toronto outfielder Colby Rasmus in Sunday’s game, won 4-1 by Toronto.

Diamond Notes: San Francisco Giants first baseman Brandon Belt is back on the disabled list because of a concussion. He was hit by a ball in the face while fielding during batting practice on Saturday. Belt missed 50 games due to a broken left thumb earlier in the season, returning on July 5…The Chicago Cubs have filed a lawsuit against several people whom the team accuses of being behind a fake mascot. The team says that the defendants are trying to pass their character, named “Billy Cub,” off as an official representative of the club, and it accuses them of trademark infringement. The “Billy Cub,” fake mascot has been accused by the team of demanding tips for photos, making “rude, profane and derogatory remarks,” and punching a man at a bar near Wrigley Field. The Cubs official mascot is named “Clark the Cub.”